shatteredworldfandomcom-20200214-history
Linguistics
Canon skills and rules Intelligence modifier: You apply your character's Intelligence modifier to the number of bonus languages your character knows at the start of the game. These are in addition to any starting racial languages and Common. If you have a penalty, you can still read and speak your racial languages unless your Intelligence is lower than 3. Diplomacy: You cannot use Diplomacy against a creature that does not understand you or has an Intelligence of 3 or less. Using Diplomacy to influence a creature’s attitude takes 1 minute of continuous interaction. Diplomacy is generally ineffective in combat and against creatures that intend to harm you or your allies in the immediate future. Intimidate: Demoralizing an opponent is a standard action. Using Intimidate to change an opponent’s attitude requires 1 minute of conversation. (Language is not mentioned.) Bluff: Bluff is an opposed skill check against your opponent’s Sense Motive skill. If you use Bluff to fool someone, with a successful check you convince your opponent that what you are saying is true. Bluff checks are modified depending upon the believability of the lie. The following modifiers are applied to the roll of the creature attempting to tell the lie. Note that some lies are so improbable that it is impossible to convince anyone that they are true (subject to GM discretion). (Language is not mentioned.) Sense Motive: A successful check lets you avoid being bluffed (see the Bluff skill). You can also use this skill to determine when “something is up” (that is, something odd is going on) or to assess someone's trustworthiness. Trying to gain information with Sense Motive generally takes at least 1 minute, and you could spend a whole evening trying to get a sense of the people around you. (Language is not mentioned.) Linguistics: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing. If the check succeeds, you understand the general content of a piece of writing about one page long (or the equivalent). If the check fails, make a DC 5 Wisdom check to see if you avoid drawing a false conclusion about the text. (Success means that you do not draw a false conclusion; failure means that you do.) You must be trained to use this skill, but you can always attempt to read archaic and strange forms of your own racial bonus languages. In addition, you can also always attempt to detect a forgery. (Nothing is mentioned of spoken languages.) Use Magic Device: You can use this skill to read a spell or to activate a magic item. Use Magic Device lets you use a magic item as if you had the spell ability or class features of another class, as if you were a different race, or as if you were of a different alignment. This usage works just like deciphering a written spell with the Spellcraft skill, except that the DC is 5 points higher. Deciphering a written spell requires 1 minute of concentration. Spellcraft: Spellcraft is used whenever your knowledge and skill of the technical art of casting a spell or crafting a magic item comes into question. This skill is also used to identify the properties of magic items in your possession through the use of spells such as detect magic and identify. The DC of this check varies depending upon the task at hand. Decipher a scroll DC: 20 + spell level. Handle Animal: You are trained at working with animals, and can teach them tricks, get them to follow your simple commands, or even domesticate them. You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC. An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks. Extrapolated interactions with language barriers No Intelligence Vermin, oozes, undead, animated objects, and plants have no Intelligence score and are immune to all mind-effecting and language-dependent effects. No diplomacy, intimidation, bluff, or intuition is possible without increasing the entity's intelligence. Knowledge Nature: *You can attempt to ascertain the properties of an individual monster once per day, and additional attempts reveal the same results. **DC 10 + monster's CR can identify general traits, such as a poison bite or an allergy to silver. **DC 15 + monster's CR can identify potentially-exploitable behaviors, such as staying out of the light, away from fire, or acting on impulses such as hunger or the scent of blood. You can't convince a swarm to go against its instincts, but you can distract or lead it just fine if you know what it's after. **DC 20 + monster's CR can identify the linchpin, such as a swarm clustered around a leader unit or a golem powered by an inscription. The linchpin may not be weak but if removed the monster is no longer a directed threat. *These are general guidelines only; many monsters in the Bestiary already have Lore breakouts for Knowledge: Nature checks. *Knowledge: Nature should be used for plants or animals. Knowledge: Arcana and Spellcraft: *a Spellcraft check in conjunction with a Detect Magic or Identify spell can assess null-int entities of an arcane nature purely from their magical aura. *The results of this are the same as the Knowledge checks above, but start at a DC of 15; **DC 15 + CR to identify abilities and weaknesses **DC 20 + CR to identify behaviors **DC 25 + CR to identify the linchpin *Knowledge: Arcana and Spellcraft should be used for arcane creatures, planar entities that exhibit living properties, and the undead. Spells: *Speak With Plants, Speak With Dead, and the third-party Speak With Vermin and Speak With Objects spells allow null-int entities to communicate with the caster. *Null-ints have little context or knowledge, and are likely to contribute "inane comments" per the text. *Since these spells grant full communication, this elevates them to full intelligence and are open to the full range of interactions (entertaingly, their stat blocks usually do have Wis and Cha ratings). *The starting attitude of a null-int entity is largely based on alignment, where matched alignments are friendly or indifferent and opposing alignments are hostile or unfriendly (few entities beyond a character's own equipment are likely to be helpful out of the box). Low Intelligence Animals and the brighter plant creatures have an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. Any creature capable of understanding speech has a score of at least 3; as with null-ints no true communication is possible, but unlike null-ints, animals understand cause-and-effect and learn from experience. This means a base level of interaction is possible. Handle Animal: *The text as written provides a framework to teach a domestic animal new behavior patterns. It can also be used as a form of diplomacy. This is considered "pushing", as a trick the animal doesn't know, but is capable of performing. *The base DC for this is 25 + HD of the animal **-5 if the animal was influenced with Intimidation as described below **+2 if the animal has taken any form of damage **+5 for a low-intelligence creature that is not an animal **+5 for the following tricks: attack, defend, guard, and track *If successful the animal performs the task or trick on its next action. *Pushing with Handle Animal is a full-round action. *Animal diplomacy is difficult; they don't have much reason to listen. Knowledge: *As described above, standard animal behaviors and instincts can be identified with a Knowledge check. However animals can learn to go against their instincts, or exhibit learned behaviors atypical to their breed. *The DC 20 + CR check is now made to grasp this "linchpin" - the core motivations and behaviors of an individual entity. Intimidate: *Low-intelligence creatures can be demoralized using the standard rules, with a DC of 10 + HD + Wis modifier. Remember the size bonuses and penalties! *If an Influence Attitude attempt at the same DC is successful, the animal will refuse to attack unless cornered, and the difficulty of Handle Animal is decreased as described above. *The difference is that a demoralized animal is shaken and receives combat penalties, while a influenced animal is not penalized in combat - they just will not roll init. *An animal already in combat cannot be influenced to stop attacking. *The attempt takes 1 minute as with people. Bluff and Sense Motive: *You can use Bluff and Sense Motive in a primitive sense, such as in a feint or feigning a friendly attitude to get in close. *No persistent or deep deception is possible without full communication. Diplomacy: *Non-rangers cannot affect low-intelligence creatures with Diplomacy, as this requires a common language. But read up on Handle Animal... Spells: *Speak With Animals and Speak With Plants allow low-int entities to communicate with the caster. *Low-ints are much more aware of their environments, but the spell doesn't make them any more friendly than normal. *As before it allows the full range of communication with the subject, with standard Diplomacy, Intimidate, Bluff, and Sense Motive skills. *The starting attitude of a low-int entity is unchanged by this - predators on the hunt are hostile, other wild animals are unfriendly, domestic and feral animals are indifferent, herd animals are friendly, and personal pets are helpful. **This is open to interpretation and personalities of course; dogs are usually friendly, cats are usually indifferent, and so on. Full Intelligence Any creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or more is capable of understanding speech. This may take a number of forms; vegepygmies for instance cannot speak, but communicate with a crude language of rhythmic taps, beats, and clicks. Even if they don't know your language, they grasp the concept of language and conversation. Full interaction of course is possible! Linguistics: *A Linguistics check can help communicate in an unknown or archaic form. *Using Linguistics to comprehend writing is as described in the text. This same framework is used to speak or listen through a language barrier. **DC 20 for a heavy accent or a loanword-studded language you know **DC 25 for a branch language **DC 30 or higher for an exotic or dead language *If the check fails, make the Wisdom check to avoid drawing (or creating!) a false conclusion. Checks are made secretly by the GM because fuck the PCs. *A message takes 1 round to understand or produce for the simplest Tarzan-esque statements, 1d4 rounds for a conversational sentence, and anywhere from 1 to 1d4 minutes for a nuanced message. Knowledge: *As before, Knowledge checks can grant a basic understanding of someone's motivations, but this is increasingly vague in the face of an intelligent creature. *Knowledge: Local is used to know local laws and traditions at DC 10 (everyone knows it), DC 15 (everyone who lives there knows it), and DC 20 (insiders who live there know it), while Knowledge: History, Knowledge: Nobility, and Knowledge: Religion may all play a part in understanding why someone's here. *Unlike null-int and low-int entities, Knowledge informs interactions but almost never helps in overcoming a language barrier. Diplomacy: *You cannot use Diplomacy on a creature that does not understand you, so it has to be done through Linguistics. *Each time you make a Diplomacy check, roll Linguistics first. **On a failure, don't even bother checking Diplomacy as you were unable to make yourself understood. **On a false conclusion the creature's attitude may degrade, or offer irrelevant knowledge or aid. **On a success you then make the Diplomacy check. *There is no penalty to Diplomacy - you've already been penalized by the chance of false conclusions and additional time necessary, which effectively triples the time needed to influence attitudes, make requests, and gather information. Intimidate: *You can use Intimidate to demoralize a creature that does not understand you. *A Linguistics check is necessary to influence a creature's attitude, and again to exploit an intimidated opponent if you want information or assistance. *This incurs no penalty as you have to take the time to make yourself understood, and risk being misunderstood. **Since an intimidated creature only acts friendly for so long, this can make a big difference! Bluff and Sense Motive: *You can use Bluff and Sense Motive without understanding, as with a feint or a hunch, but only in the most primitive sense. *For any secret message or convincing lie you must go through Linguistics again. *As before, no penalty is assessed; if you're trying to bullshit through a language barrier, you're probably already knee-deep in unlikely or far-fetched circumstances. Spellcraft: *A Spellcraft check is necessary to decipher a magical inscription or incantation, using the standard rules of DC 15 + spell level for incantations and DC 20 + spell level for inscriptions. *Without ranks in Spellcraft (and it can't be used untrained, any more than Linguistics can) you cannot understand any arcane communication. *Read Magic is a handy spell as you can then understand inscriptions without a skill check. *Nobody speaks and writes in "magic"; arcane conversation takes place through a spell, and the spell itself informs this check. Use Magic Device: *A Use Magic Device check can be used in place of Spellcraft at +5 to DC. **Since it otherwise functions identically, and there are no magic language families, the only reason to do so is if you've ended up with ranks in Use Magic Device and none in Spellcraft. For the sake of completion! Spells: *Numerous spells are available to decipher both spoken and written languages, overcoming language barriers. *This is self-explanatory; if you can converse fluently, interactions take place normally. The outlier is Read Magic as described above. Language families This is pure speculation based on fluff text on what languages would be considered adjacent to each other. *DC 20 - within a known language (i.e. common after a few centuries of divergent evolution) *DC 25 - within a known language family (i.e. sylvan when you know elven) *DC 30 - outside a known language family (i.e. elven when you know common, or any exotic tongue (secret languages or tongues not based on any other language)) Mortal tongues *Human: common, halfling, gnoll *Elven: elven, undercommon, sylvan *Dwarven: dwarven, gnome, giant, cyclops, goblin, orc Exotic tongues *Planar: aquan, auran, ignan, terran *Outsider: abyssal, celestial, infernal *Uniques: dark folk, drow, druidic, draconic, necril, other monster-specific tongues Canon magical elements Language-Dependent: Many spells and effects state that they are "language-dependent." A language-dependent spell or effect uses intelligible language as a medium for communication. If the target cannot understand or hear what the caster of a language-dependent spell says, the spell has no effect, even if the target fails its saving throw. Intelligent Items: Like a character, an intelligent item understands Common plus one additional language per point of Intelligence bonus. Choose appropriate languages, taking into account the item's origin and purposes. If the item does not possess speech, it can still read and understand the languages it knows. Every intelligent magic item begins with the ability to see and hear within 30 feet, as well as the ability to communicate empathically with its owner. Empathy only allows the item to encourage or discourage certain actions through urges and emotions. Additional forms of communication and better senses increase the item's cost and Ego score, as noted on Table: Intelligent Item Senses and Communication. Demon-Possessed Creatures: A succubus-possessed creature can speak and understand any spoken language. This ability does not grant it the ability to read these languages. (This is specific to succubi; other demon breeds have different abilities.) Canon spell effects Decipher (avg lvl 0, word of power): The target of a wordspell with this effect word can read text written in one particular language, including the language of magic. The caster picks the language when the wordspell is cast. For the duration, the target can read that language as if fluent in it. If the caster chooses magic as the language, the target can decipher scrolls, glyphs, and other magic writing without triggering them. A wordspell with this effect word does not impart the ability to determine what a given language is based on its appearance; the caster must already know the language or guess what language the writing is in to do so. Comprehend Languages (avg lvl 1, spell, permanency-ok): You can understand the spoken words of creatures or read otherwise incomprehensible written messages. The ability to read does not necessarily impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning. The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it. Written material can be read at the rate of one page (250 words) per minute. Magical writing cannot be read, though the spell reveals that it is magical. This spell can be foiled by certain warding magic (such as the secret page and illusory script spells). It does not decipher codes or reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text. Gossip Glass (CL 1st, wondrous item): This silver, bejeweled set of opera glasses is indistinguishable from a regular set, save that when you look through the lenses you gain a +4 competence bonus to Perception checks. When reading lips, you can understand any spoken language as the comprehend languages spell. You can only use a gossip glass to spy on conversations within line of sight and must be able to see people speak in order to read their lips. Speak With Animals (avg lvl 2, spell): You can ask questions of and receive answers from animals, but the spell doesn't make them any more friendly than normal. Wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments. If an animal is friendly toward you, it may do some favor or service for you. Share Language (avg lvl 2, spell): You can share your facility for one particular language with another creature. For 24 hours the target can read, understand, and communicate to the best of its ability in any one language which you already know. For every 5 levels you possess, you can grant the use of another language you know, to a maximum of 5 languages at 20th level. The target must have the physical capacity to articulate sounds, make gestures, or engage in whatever other method speakers of the language use to communicate with each other in order to actually converse. If the target lacks the mental capacity to grasp an actual language it still gains enough knowledge to respond to and carry out even extremely complex commands or suggestions coached in the language (whether written or spoken). However, since this spell does not endow the target with greater reasoning capacity, merely a temporarily enhanced vocabulary, the person offering up instructions to non-sentient creatures must take care to remove any ambiguity or guesswork. Similarly, this spell does not affect the basic nature of the target, or its disposition toward you or anyone else, so convincing it to actually carry out these instructions could require negotiation, threats, or outright bribery. Speak With Plants (avg lvl 3, spell): You can communicate with normal plants and plant creatures, and can ask questions of and receive answers from them. A normal plant's sense of its surroundings is limited, so it won't be able to give (or recognize) detailed descriptions of creatures or answer questions about events outside its immediate vicinity. The spell doesn't make plant creatures any more friendly or cooperative than normal. Furthermore, wary and cunning plant creatures are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones may make inane comments. If a plant creature is friendly, it may do some favor or service for you. Speak With Dead (avg lvl 3, spell): You grant the semblance of life to a corpse, allowing it to answer questions. You may ask one question per two caster levels. The corpse's knowledge is limited to what it knew during life, including the languages it spoke. Answers are brief, cryptic, or repetitive, especially if the creature would have opposed you in life. If the dead creature's alignment was different from yours, the corpse gets a Will save to resist the spell as if it were alive. If successful, the corpse can refuse to answer your questions or attempt to deceive you, using Bluff. The soul can only speak about what it knew in life. It cannot answer any questions that pertain to events that occurred after its death. Translate (avg lvl 3, word of power): The target of a wordspell with this effect word can read, write, speak, and understand one particular language, chosen by the caster. The language can be any that the caster is aware of, even racial languages. Tongues (avg lvl 3, spell, permanency-ok): This spell grants the creature touched the ability to speak and understand the language of any intelligent creature, whether it is a racial tongue or a regional dialect. The subject can speak only one language at a time, although it may be able to understand several languages. Tongues does not enable the subject to speak with creatures who don't speak. The subject can make itself understood as far as its voice carries. This spell does not predispose any creature addressed toward the subject in any way. Helm of Comprehend Languages and Read Magic (CL 4th, wondrous item): Appearing as a normal helmet, a helm of comprehend languages and read magic grants its wearer the ability to understand the spoken words of any creature and to read text in any language and any magical writing. The wearer gains a +5 competence bonus on Linguistics checks to understand messages written in incomplete, archaic, or exotic forms. Note that understanding a magical text does not necessarily imply spell use. Telepathic Bond (avg lvl 5, spell, permanency-ok): You forge a telepathic bond among yourself and a number of willing creatures, each of which must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher. Each creature included in the link is linked to all the others. The creatures can communicate telepathically through the bond regardless of language. No special power or influence is established as a result of the bond. Once the bond is formed, it works over any distance (although not from one plane to another).